Case T-136/19: Judgment of the General Court of 25 October 2023 — Bulgarian Energy Holding and Others v Commission (Competition — Abuse of a dominant position — Internal market in natural gas — Decision finding an infringement of Article 102 TFEU — Regulated market — Definition of the relevant market — Romanian Transit Pipeline 1 — Holder of an exclusive right to use the Romanian Pipeline 1 — Refusal to grant access — Public supply obligation — State action defence — Transmission system operator — Storage system operator — Anticompetitive strategy — Exclusionary effects — Single and continuous infringement — Rights of the defence)
Date: 2023-10-25
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: Bulgaria, competition policy, control of restrictive practices, dominant position, energy transport, gas pipeline, gas supply, rights of the defence, sanction (EU), storage of hydrocarbons








C_202301296EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2023/1296


11.12.2023





Judgment of the General Court of 25 October 2023 — Bulgarian Energy Holding and Others v Commission
(Case T-136/19) (1)

(Competition - Abuse of a dominant position - Internal market in natural gas - Decision finding an infringement of Article 102 TFEU - Regulated market - Definition of the relevant market - Romanian Transit Pipeline 1 - Holder of an exclusive right to use the Romanian Pipeline 1 - Refusal to grant access - Public supply obligation - State action defence - Transmission system operator - Storage system operator - Anticompetitive strategy - Exclusionary effects - Single and continuous infringement - Rights of the defence)
(C/2023/1296)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicants: Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD (Sofia, Bulgaria), Bulgartransgaz EAD (Sofia), Bulgargaz EAD (Sofia) (represented by: M. Powell, A. Komninos, H. Gafsen and W. De Catelle, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: H. van Vliet, G. Meessen, J. Szczodrowski and C. Georgieva, acting as Agents)

Intervener in support of the applicants: Republic of Bulgaria (represented by L. Zaharieva and T. Mitova, acting as Agents)

Intervener in support of the defendant: Overgas Inc. (Sofia) (represented by S. Cappellari and S. Gröss, lawyers)

Re:

By their action of 1 March 2019 based on Article 263 TFEU, the applicants seek, principally, annulment of Commission Decision C(2018) 8806 final of 17 December 2018 relating to proceedings under Article 102 TFEU (Case AT.39849 — BEH Gas) and, in the alternative, cancellation of the fine that was imposed on them in that decision, or a reduction in the amount of that fine.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Annuls Commission Decision C(2018) 8806 final of 17 December 2018 relating to proceedings under Article 102 TFEU (Case AT.39849 — BEH Gas);










2.


Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD, Bulgartransgaz EAD and Bulgargaz EAD;










3.


Orders the Republic of Bulgaria and Overgas Inc. to bear their own costs.






(1)  
            OJ C 164, 13.5.2019.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1296/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)